Righthander Tommy Hanson was deemed off-limits during the negotiations with the Padres for Jake Peavy, but several other hurlers could be changing organizations due to the depth displayed during instructional league.

It's not easy to pick out who the top players will turn out to be going into a Rule 5 draft, but major league clubs all get the same release of eligible players. It's up to the teams to go through their scouting reports and see who fits their needs best, who's most worth the scant $50,000 wager on talent. BA's staff has checked its own scouting reports as well as the list of eligible players. We've also checked on the history of the Rule 5 for the profiles of players who often get selected—lefthanded pitchers, relievers, versatile infielders, power bats. Here's our primer on the best bets to go in this year's draft.

In their five seasons in the Rookie-level Appalachian League, the Greeneville Astros have consistently provided a high-quality product while annually leading the league in attendance, two key reasons why they are the 2008 short-season winners of the Freitas Award.

Lefty Carlos Hernandez took off on a roll that went through three leagues and into the postseason. The kid who began in extended finished the year pitching the California League championship game and delivering in the clutch as high Class A Stockton won the league title.

Jonathon Niese should report to spring training as the favorite to claim the No. 5 slot in the Mets' rotation. But general manager Omar Minaya suggested that fellow lefthander Jason Vargas shouldn't be written off.

In the brief time they had Jhonny Nunez, the Yankees believed they had acquired a righthander who eventually could fit as a big league middle reliever, but New York feels it got a similar return in Kanekoa Texeira from the Nick Swisher trade.

How much does Braves catcher Tyler Flowers' AFL performance affect his prospect status? What's the outlook for Red Sox first baseman Anthony Rizzo after he was diagnosed with cancer? How good is the second tier of Rangers catching prospects?

There's just no logical explanation for the Phoenix Desert Dogs' domination of the Arizona Fall League championship game after they defeated the Mesa Solar Sox, 10-4, at Scottsdale Stadium on Saturday for their fifth consecutive AFL crown.

Philadelphia sent Greg Golson, its first-round pick (21st overall) in 2004, to Texas for John Mayberry Jr., the Rangers' first-rounder (19th overall) in 2005. Both players are on their new clubs' 40-man rosters, making them exempt from December's Rule 5 draft.